California Basketball Coach, Fiance Found Dead

COUPLE SLAIN–Keith Lawrence, 27, and his fiancée, Monica Quan, 28, were found shot inside a parked car on the top floor of a parking structure in Irvine late Sunday. (Facebook.com Photo)

IRVINE, Calif. (AP) — A college basketball coach and her fiance were found shot to death in a car at their upscale condominium complex in Southern California, and authorities say they have no motive or suspects in the killing.

Cal State Fullerton assistant women’s basketball coach Monica Quan, 28, and her fiance Keith Lawrence, 27, were found dead around 9 p.m. Sunday on the top floor of a parking structure at the complex, police said. Officers found their bodies after someone reported seeing Lawrence slumped over the wheel of his vehicle.

Quan was found in the front passenger seat and Lawrence was in the driver seat, Irvine Police Lt. Julia Engen said.

“It doesn’t appear they were robbed,” Engen told the Orange County Register”There’s no obvious motive.”

Few other details have been released.

Lawrence and Quan played basketball at Concordia University, and Quan was in her second season as an assistant coach at Cal State Fullerton.

“The loss of any member of the Titan family causes our community great grief, but the loss of one of our own under these circumstances is indeed tragic and heart-wrenching,” university President Mildred Garcia said in a statement Monday. “We hope that Monica’s family and friends will feel and be comforted by our support during this difficult time.”

Counselors will be available for staff and student athletes, Garcia said.

Engen said the couple recently moved into the condominium complex. The parking structure requires a key-code for entry and there are security cameras throughout the complex, a resident told the Los Angeles Times.

“We moved here because it was so safe — Irvine was the safest city in America,” Sharon Smith said. “I guess like anywhere else, we’re going to have a few incidents. … Nobody worries about living here.”